21 Awesomely Well-Designed Products We're Dying to Own

Old Hat Classic helmets look great, but old gear won't safeguard your brain—the protective materials deteriorate with age. The new Bullitt, an homage to 1970s designs, lets you rock an old-school look while wearing an actual safety device. Because looking good after the crash is important too. Bell Bullitt Helmet | $400

Station Agent The speaker grille and analog knobs are cutely retro, but this radio's rubberized exterior signals a decidedly modern sense of style. It manages to reference the past without dipping into sappy nostalgia. We can't say the same about the Prairie Home Companion coming out of the speaker. Lexon Mezzo Radio | $77

Space Capsule Bedroom storage is a necessity, but it can also be beautiful. These units, designed by architect Anna Castelli Ferrieri, are in the collections of both New York's MoMA and Paris' Pompidou. Pick from different designs to fit your needs and add casters to keep them mobile. Kartell Componibili Modular System | $50–220

Right as Rain Inspired by South American designs, these striking ponchos are engineered to handle all forms of water falling from the sky. Waterproof and cotton-lined, they're comfortable for cyclists, festivalgoers, or just regular humans with a keen eye for utilitarian design. Otto London Urban Poncho | $150

Baby On Board Stokke's stroller adapts to your child's growth thanks to its convertible seat, which features five positions, rear- and forward-facing modes, and a height-adjustable footrest. Lockable swivel wheels, rear-wheel brakes, and reflective accents promise a smooth and safe ride. Stokke Crusi Stroller | $1,249 and up

Thar She Cuts Japanese blacksmith Toru Yamashita originally created a whale knife as a children's tool to sharpen pencils. It may look adorable, but beware: The blade is sharp enough to slice through the most stubborn of envelopes. Or fingers. Kujira Whale Knife | $55

No-Scream Ice Cream The last place you want to get caught spraining your wrist is at the bottom of an ice cream pint. The angled head and spade-shaped edge on Belle-V's scoop makes scraping up those last bits of rocky road as painless as turning a doorknob. Belle-V Ice Cream Scoop | $50

Crossover Vehicle The Budnitz Model No. 3 will help you navigate curbs, potholes, and any other city obstacles with its rustproof 3.6-pound titanium frame and silent carbon belt drive. But the bike's massive 29-inch wheels and 2.35-inch-wide tires make it equally suited for off-road trails. Budnitz Model No. 3 Bicycle | $4,745

Field of Dreams Lytro's latest shooter looks like a high-end mirrorless—and snaps a photo like the best of them—but it's actually a light-field camera. It records the entire depth of field within a scene, allowing you to refocus the picture, make a 3-D image, or create perspective effects in post-production. Lytro Illum | $1599

Bear Cubes A boring old ice tray won't do when you can put a polar bear in your fridge. Pop his top, fill him with water, and let him ice up. He's adorable! But don't get too attached: You'll need to bang him on the counter to dislodge the cubes. Black+Blum Brrrrr Ice Tray | $20

A Cut Above Arm your guests for battle against Sir Loin of Beef with this stealthy six-knife set. The chromium-carbon blades will provide years of sharp, swift cuts without needing to be sharpened. And their angular handles and black bodies will deflect any desire you may have to go vegan. TB Groupe Furtif Steak Knife Set | $336

Squeeze Play Cracking a stubborn walnut can be hard on the fingers, even with a traditional nutcracker. This redesigned tool from Normann Copenhagen has a thick silicone grip that protects your digits while its aluminum teeth make short work of any unlucky shell. Normann Copenhagen Nutcracker | $53

Two-Fisted Drinker Help the little one learn to hold her own drink with this easy-to-grasp soft frame. Made from BPA-free and FDA-approved food-safe silicone, the 5-inch ball fits most baby bottles and will give you a reprieve from picking hers up off the floor. Ba Baby Bottle Holder | $20

Top Trimmer Slicing your way through the unwanted limbs of your backyard plum tree shouldn't be a workout. Fiskars' slick shears have a handle that rotates slightly as you squeeze. The dollop of torque adds more leverage to every cut you make. Snipping branches up to half an inch thick is a breeze.Fiskars Power-Gear Softgrip Pruner | $30

Everything Is Illuminated Don't leave all your best collectibles to gather dust on a shelf. Highlight them with this 17-inch showcase-cum-lamp. Just make sure you use LED bulbs for the more delicate stuff; incandescents can run pretty hot. Favorite Things Pendant Lamp | $475

Snooze Seat Sitting in this beauty is like being CEO of the Milky Way: so awesome that you're apt to ask, when is the dream going to end?! But the reason it's so easy to get into and out of is a hidden mechanism that reclines the seat and seat back in sync and can be locked in place as you choose. Vitra Grand Repos | $4,900

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At WIRED, we're always scouring the world of products for whatever's most innovative, clever, and beautiful. And we collect the result of all that labor in our yearly Design|Life special edition, which you can find on newsstands today. Don't have a newsstand handy? You're in luck. Over the next couple weeks, we'll be unveiling a series of galleries that feature 180 of the best-designed products in the world. But to offer you a taste of what's to come, we've culled 21 of them. Enjoy!